The Mi-17 military helicopters will be used by the Afghan National Security Forces Special Mission Wing, an aviation unit that supports counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics and special operations missions. Work will be performed in Russia and is expected to be complete by Dec. 31, 2014. This contract involves foreign military sales. FY12 funds in the amount of $572,180,894 are being obligated at time of award.

A portion of this contract is in support of foreign military sales for Turkey and United Arab Emirates. The total of the contract if all options are exercised will be $4,983,900,022. The estimated completion date is Dec. 31, 2020. A combination of fiscal 2011, fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2013 Procurement funds in the amount of $1,316,639,035 are being obligated on this award.

The attack hit the city of Peshawar, which is on the outskirts of Pakistan's tribal area, the main sanctuary for Islamic militants. They have targeted the city with scores of bombings in recent years.

Three militants initiated the attack on the mosque, located inside a Shiite religious school, by firing on a policeman who was standing guard outside, said senior police official Shafiullah Khan. The policeman was critically wounded, Khan said.

The militants then entered the mosque, where one of them detonated his suicide vest. The other two militants escaped, and police have launched a search operation to find them, Khan said. Fifteen people were killed and scores more wounded, he said.

Zawar Hussain, who was inside the mosque when the attackers struck, said their firing set off panic among the roughly 300 worshippers inside. Then came the explosion.

"After the blast, I fell down. People were crying for help," said Hussain. "I saw bodies and badly injured worshippers everywhere."

Local TV video showed blood splattered on the floor and walls of the mosque. Broken glass littered the floor, and there were holes in the walls and ceiling caused by ball bearings packed in with the bomber's explosives to cause maximum damage and casualties. Relatives at a local hospital wailed in grief as rescue workers wheeled in wounded victims, their clothes soaked in blood.

No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Radical Sunni Muslims who consider Shiites to be heretics have stepped up attacks against the minority sect in Pakistan over the last several years.

On Saturday, a bomb that appeared to be targeting Shiites ripped through a bus carrying female university students in the southwest city of Quetta, killing 14 people. Militants then attacked a hospital where wounded victims were taken, killing more people.

The militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the attack in Quetta and could be suspected in Friday's Peshawar attack as well. The group has carried out many of the attacks against Shiites in Pakistan in recent years, especially in Baluchistan province, where Quetta is the capital.

Although most Sunnis and Shiites live peacefully together in Pakistan, the country has a long history of sectarian attacks by radicals on both sides.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Pakistan became the scene of a proxy war between mostly Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia, with both sides funneling money to sectarian groups that regularly targeted each other.

Most of the attacks in recent years have been by radical Sunnis against Shiites. Last year was one of the most deadly for Shiites in Pakistan's history, according to Human Rights Watch, which said more than 400 Shiites were killed.

This year is shaping up to be even deadlier. Two attacks carried out by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in Quetta at the beginning of the year killed nearly 200 people.

The sectarian violence presents a significant challenge to Pakistan's new government, which took power earlier this month under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Human rights activists and members of the Shiite community criticized the last government for failing to do enough to stop the attacks. The new government has promised to do more, but some critics have questioned whether Sharif will follow through. His party has done little to crack down on Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and other militant groups in its home province of Punjab in central Pakistan, even though the party controlled the provincial government for the last five years.

Baltimore Sun (blog)Visitors walk on June 18, 2013 past the European aerospace consortium EADS at Le Bourget airport, near Paris, during the 50th International Paris Air show. (Eric Piermont/Getty Images). An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner flies over Le Bourget airport ...See all stories on this topic »

At a signing ceremony today at the 2013 Paris Air Show, Michael O'Leary, president and CEO of Ryanair, joined Ray Conner, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO, to finalize the historic deal.

O'Leary flew into the air show on one of Ryanair's 303 737-800s, which bore a special livery celebrating the agreement.

"Ryanair is proud to buy Boeing, who make great aircraft, and the 737-800 has been the foundation of Ryanair's recent successful growth due to its great engineering and phenomenal reliability," said O'Leary. "These 175 new airplanes will enable us to lower costs and airfares even further. They provide Ryanair with the additional capacity to exploit substantial growth opportunities that now exist as many of Europe's flag and regional airlines are restructuring and are reducing their short-haul operations."

"We are delighted to finalize this order. It is a testament to the value the Next-Generation 737 family brings to Ryanair," said Conner. "As the most efficient, reliable, large single-aisle airplane flying today, the Next-Generation 737 has been and will continue to be the cornerstone of the Ryanair fleet. I could not be more proud to see the partnership between Ryanair and The Boeing Company extended for the years to come."

The Boeing 737-800 is the best-selling version of the successful Next-Generation 737 family. Known for its reliability, fuel efficiency and economical performance, the Next-Generation 737-800 is selected by leading carriers throughout the world because it provides operators the flexibility to serve a wide range of markets.

Ryanair, which took delivery of its first 737-800 from Boeing in 1999, has the largest fleet of Boeing airplanes in Europe, operating over 1,600 flights per day from 57 bases on 1,600 routes across 29 countries, connecting more than 180 destinations.

Today's announcement brings the total number of 737s ordered to date to more than 11,000. Boeing currently has more than 3,400 unfilled orders for 737s.

Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel Co., Pine Bluff, Ark., was awarded a firm-fixed-price contract with a maximum value of $50,000,000 for maintenance and construction work along the Mississippi River. Performance location and funding will be determined with each order. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with six bids received. The Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, La., is the contracting activity (W912P8-13-D-0007).

HEW – Phelps, Austin, Texas, was awarded a firm-fixed-price contract with a maximum value of $20,620,000 for the construction of an MQ-9 Maintenance Hangar on Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. Fiscal 2013 Military Construction funds are being obligated on this award. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with three bids received. The Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque, N.M., is the contracting activity (W912PP-13-C-0019).

Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co., Oak Brook, Ill., was awarded a firm-fixed-price contract with a maximum value of $19,352,064 for the flood control and coastal emergency repair services along the Delaware coast. Work will be performed in Rehoboth Beach, Del.; Bethany Beach, Del.; and Fenwick Island, Del. Fiscal 2013 Procurement funds are being obligated on this award. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with four bids received. The Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia, Penn., is the contracting activity (W912BU-13-C-0025).

Megen Construction Co., Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, was awarded a firm-fixed-price, multi-year contract with a maximum value of $14,849,000 for the construction of a Brigade Combat Team Complex on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. Fiscal 2013 Military Construction funds are being obligated on this award. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with four bids received. The Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle, Wash., is the contracting activity (W912HN-11-D-0047).

FLIR Systems Inc., Wilsonville, Ore., was awarded a $14,361,776 modification (P00013) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, multi-year contract (W9113M-11-C-0067) for the procurement of repairs and refurbishments and logistical support for sensor components of the Legacy Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment Base, Expeditionary Targeting and Surveillance Systems – combined, Cerebus and Cerebus Lite systems that are fielded in Iraq, Afghanistan and Southeast Asia. The cumulative total face value of this contract is $43,268,391. Performance location and funding will be determined with each order. The Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity.

Mission 1st Inc., Shrewsbury, N.J., was awarded a $12,350,815 modification (P00008) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (W52P1J-11-D-0009) for services in support of the Theatre Signal Command. The cumulative total face value of this contract is $111,350,815. Performance location and funding will be determined with each order. The Army Contracting Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity.

InSap Services Inc., Marlton, N.J., was awarded a firm-fixed-price, multi-year contract with a maximum value of $7,358,188 for the procurement of information technology services in support of the Red River Army Depot Logistic Modernization Program. Work will be performed in Texarkana, Texas. Fiscal 2013 Procurement funds are being obligated on this award. Ten bids were solicited, with five bids received. The Army Contracting Command, Texarkana, Texas, is the contracting activity (W911RQ-10-A-0007).

Mercom Inc., Pawleys Island, S.C., was awarded a firm-fixed-price contract with a maximum value of $7,278,762 for the procurement of DuraCOR 810 tactical computers that will be integrated into the OH-58D Kiowa. A combination of fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2013 Procurement funds are being obligated on this award. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with one bid received. The Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-13-F-0007).

Carleton Life Support Systems, Davenport, Iowa, was awarded a firm-fixed-price contract with a maximum value of $7,148,790 for the procurement of parts and equipment in support of the Apache weapon system. Performance location and funding will be determined with each order. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with one bid received. The Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-13-C-0095).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Welch Allyn, Inc., Skaneateles Falls, N.Y.,has been awarded a maximum $43,650,000 modification (P00017) exercising the fourth option year of a one year base contract (SPM2D1-09-D-8350) with nine one-year option periods and is for patient monitoring systems, subsystems, accessories, consumables, spare, repair parts, and training. The contract is a fixed price with economic-price-adjustment contract. Location of performance is New York with a June 23, 2014 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2013 through fiscal 2014 Defense Working Capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.

Fannon Petroleum Services,* Gainesville, Va.,has been awarded a maximum $43,347,362 fixed price with economic-price-adjustment contract. This contract is for fuel. Location of performance is Virginia, Maryland, and District of Columbia with a July 31, 2017 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2013 through fiscal 2017 Defense Working Capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va.; (SP0600-13-D-4016).

Bominflot Atlantic,* Houston, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $41,850,000 fixed price with economic-price-adjustment contract. This contract is for fuel. Locations of performance are Texas and Virginia with a July 31, 2017 performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2013 through fiscal 2017 Defense Working Capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-13-D-4008).

Ports Petroleum,* Wooster, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $23,297,575 fixed price with economic-price-adjustment contract. This contract is for fuel. Locations of performance are Ohio, West Virginia, and Indiana with a July 31, 2017 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2013 through fiscal 2017 Defense Working Capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-13-D-4027).

Apex Petroleum Corp., * Largo, Md., has been awarded a maximum $21,355,328 fixed price with economic-price-adjustment contract. This contract is for fuel. Locations of performance are Maryland, District of Columbia, and Virginia with a July 31, 2017 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2013 through fiscal 2017 Defense Working Capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-13-D-4006).

James River Solutions,* Ashland, Va., has been awarded a maximum $12,661,620 fixed price with economic-price-adjustment contract. This contract is for fuel. Location of performance is Virginia with a July 31, 2017 performance completion date. Using military services are Navy and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2013 through fiscal 2017 Defense Working Capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-13-D-4021).

Valero Marketing and Supply Co., San Antonio, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $7,927,049 modification (P00004) exercising the first option year period on this contract (SP0600-12-D-0459) and is for aviation fuel. The contract is a fixed price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Texas with a November 30, 2013 performance completion date. Using service is Israel. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2013 Foreign Military Sales funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va.

AIR FORCE

Data Link Solutions, LLC, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been awarded a $38,235,386 firm-fixed-price, requirements contract for repair for Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) sustainment and establishment of in-plant MIDS support capability for non-warranty hardware to provide intermediate, depot, and second level repair capability with the 402nd Maintenance Wing (MXW) at Warner-Robins Air Logistics Center. Work will be performed at BAE Systems in Wayne, N.J., Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and the 402nd MXW at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., and is expected to be completed by June 20, 2019. At this time, no money has been obligated at time of award. The contracting activity is Air Force Sustainment Center/PZAB, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., (FA8539-13-D-0002).

The Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services, Madison, Miss., has been awarded a $29,072,700 firm-fixed-price, multi-year contract for full food services, including providing all personnel, supervision, and any items and services necessary to operate three full dining facilities, one flight kitchen, and one central preparation kitchen in support of organizational missions as needed. Work will be performed at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2017. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and 12 offers were received. Fiscal 2013 Operations and Maintenance funds in the amount of $564,050 is being obligated at time of award. The 81st Contracting Squadron/LGCB, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., is the contracting activity (FA3010-13-C-0005).

Exelis Inc., Clifton, N.J., has been awarded a $16,000,000 modification (P00004)that increases the current indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (FA8650-10-D-7015) ceiling to $40,900,000 for research and development under the Integrated Demonstrations and Applications Research program to continue crucial threat assessments, technology evaluations and threat/technology model developments that support critical warfighter needs. Work will be performed at Clifton, N. J., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 19, 2015. Type of funds are fiscal 2013 Research and Development funds. This is a sole-source acquisition. Air Force Research Laboratory/RQKDB, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

NAVY

Alliant Techsystems Operations LLC, Clearwater, Fla., is being awarded a $20,017,724 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-13-C-0009) to procure various AN/AAR-47 Missile Warning System Weapons Replaceable Assemblies. These newly manufactured assemblies include 92 A(V)2 and 328 B(V)2 Integrated Optical Sensor Convertors; 18 A(V)2 and 99 B(V)2 Computer Processors. Additionally, this effort will procure 240 A(V)2 to B(V)2 Integrated Optical Sensor Convertor retrofits, and 60 A(V)2 to B(V)2 Computer Processor retrofits for the U. S. Navy and Air Force assets will repair hardware to Ready For Issue condition and will cover technical and cost data submissions. These systems are for installation on U. S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force helicopters, rotorcraft and low/slow flying, fixed wing aircraft. Additionally, these systems are for installation on aircraft platforms operated by the government of Denmark. Work will be performed in Clearwater, Fla. (72 percent); Austin, Texas (18 percent); Netanya, Israel (2 percent); Iwata City, Japan (2 percent); Loveland, Colo. (2 percent); Northvale, N.J. (1 percent) and various locations throughout the U.S. (3 percent) and is expected to be completed in December 2015. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Air Force ($14,053,905; 70.2 percent); U.S. Navy ($5,201,239; 26 percent); and the government of Denmark ($762,580; 3.8 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Program. Fiscal 2013 Aircraft Procurement Navy, fiscal 2011 and 2012 Aircraft Procurement Air Force and FMS funds in the amount of $20,017,724 will be obligated at the time of award, $4,117,884 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Smartronix, Inc., Hollywood, Md., is being awarded a $17,009,473 firm-fixed-price contract with cost reimbursable, contract line items, for cyber operations support. This contract provides for program management, knowledge and information assurance management, network operations and maintenance, help desk and engineering support services at Quantico, Va., Camp Pendleton, Calif., and various Marine Corps detachments inside and outside the continental United States. This contract contains two option periods, which if exercised, would bring the maximum dollar value to $39,989,046. Work will be performed primarily within Quantico, Va. (78 percent); Camp Pendleton, Calif. (6 percent); Camp Lejeune, N.C. (4 percent); Okinawa, Japan (4 percent); Stuttgart, Germany (3 percent); New Orleans, La. (2 percent); Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii (1 percent); Kansas City, Mo. (1 percent); and Seoul, Korea (1 percent), with an expected completion date of June 29, 2014. With all options exercised, the contract will continue through Nov. 29, 2015. Fiscal 2013 Operations and Maintenance, Marine Corps funds in the amount of $17,009,473 are being obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via Federal Business Opportunities website, with four proposals received. The Regional Contracting Office, National Capital Region, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M00264-13-C-0019).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Mission Systems and Training, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded a $6,872,082 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide technical engineering, configuration management, associated equipment/supplies, quality assurance, information assurance and other operation and maintenance efforts required for the Aegis development and test sites, including the Combat Systems Engineering Development Site, SPY-1A Test Facility and the Naval Systems Computing Center. This contract contains options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $304,402,466. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy (72.9 percent) and the governments of Japan (18 percent), Korea (3.2 percent), Spain (3 percent), Norway (1.8 percent) and Australia (1.1 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J. (99.9 percent), and less than 0.1 percent each in Valley Forge, Pa., and Washington, D.C., and is expected to be completed by May 2018. Fiscal 2013 Research, Development, Test and Evaluation funding in the amount of $6,500,518 will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1). The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-13-C-5132).